Know Your Weapon

by Sgt. A.F. Dreves, C-1-1, Pacific Theater, WWII

It was early May, 1945, on Okinawa. Many days of rain left the terrain a slippery, sticky sea of mud.

During the night, my company {C-1-1} had moved into position on a small ridge overlooking a draw or ravine which was about 15 or 20 yards wide, facing another higher ridge. It was a relatively quite night with sporadic rile fire and mortar flares.

Dawn came with sullen skies and some fog. We were awaiting orders to move out when we suddenly came under a rapid mortar fire from what was apparently a Japanese knee mortar which seemed close by. My Lieutenant said, "Dreves, take a man and go find out where the hell that thing is."

My fox hole buddy, Wally, and I slipped over the top of the ridge and slid down the reverse slope into the ravine which was almost knee deep in a milk shake type of ooze. A band of fog and smoke about head high pretty much obscured the slope in front of us.

We listened carefully and could hear the snap and clink of a knee mortar. As luck would have it a light breeze lifted the fog and smoke, and there, not 10 yards in front of us, were 2 Japanese, sitting in a niche they had cut into the hillside.

They had the mortar between the and were busily firing away. They were to busy to notice us at the moment and I raised my Thompson, flicking off what I thought was the safety, and heard my magazine go flop into the mud. Fortunately, Wally was more alert and quickly dispatched the two of them.

The anger and embarrassment I can still feel today. Why I did a stupid thing like that I'll never know.

My Thompson had served me well in other encounters and I cherished her dearly. She was a Model 1927 A1, made, as I recall, by Colt Arms. She had a Cutts compensator and a beautiful walnut stock.

The safety and fire select switches are located on one side of the receiver, and the clip release on the opposite. The switches are not alike, so there is no excuse for the wrong selection.

I've been asked, "why didn't you have the safety off when you went over the ridge?" With a Thompson, it's always easier to carry it with you finger in the trigger frame, and I guess sliding down that slope, I probably thought it would be a lot safer, and not have an accidental discharge, giving away our position.

At any rate, as they say, take good care of your weapon and she'll take good care of you.